Republican Kentucky Senator Dan Seum listens to a colleage on Jan. 8, 2019 the opening day of the Legislative Session in Franfort.PHOTO:LRC Public Information

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Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced by Legislators

By The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Diagnosed with cancer seven years ago, Kentucky Republican State Sen. Dan Seum said doctors gave him a "nice bottle of Oxycontin," a legal opioid-based prescription painkiller that has led to a spike in overdose deaths throughout the state.

"I threw it in the garbage can and went home and smoked a joint," the 77-year-old lawmaker said. "And guess what? No nausea. I was able to function. I was going through the (chemo) treatment. It was during the legislative session, I did not miss a day due to nausea from the cancer."

Seum was one of a bipartisan group of Kentucky lawmakers on Wednesday who introduced a bill that would make marijuana legal in Kentucky for medical purposes only. The proposal comes weeks after the U.S. Congress, led by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, passed a farm bill that effectively legalized hemp, a crop that comes from the same plant that produces marijuana.

Medical marijuana is legal in 33 other states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Kentucky House of Representatives flipped to Republican control in 2017, giving the GOP complete control of state government. Since then, support for the bill has been growing among the Republican majority. That includes GOP Rep. Jason Nemes, who said he was opposed to medical marijuana when he first ran for the legislature in 2016 but has since changed his mind.

"I am quite confident a majority of House members support it," Nemes said. "If we get a vote, the numbers will be above 60."

But the bill is unlikely to get a vote in the 100-member state House of Representatives this year. House Majority Floor Leader John "Bam" Carney, who controls which bills get called for a vote to the House floor, said he would not call the bill for a vote if the state Senate would not support it. Wednesday, Republican Senate President Robert Stivers called marijuana "a gateway drug" and said he had seen no credible studies showing marijuana had medicinal value other than "it makes you feel good."

The 149-page bill includes regulations for growers, processors and dispensers. Michael Raus, founder of Kentucky Bluegrass Cannabis, said it has the potential to create a $100 million industry in the state.

The bill still would not let people could smoke marijuana in public, but the proposal is silent on what they could do with it in their own homes. Other restrictions would include a ban on advertising, requiring plants to be grown indoors under lock and key and a program to monitor inventory. Republican Rep. Diane St. One said the proposal would even let low-income people grow up to six marijuana plants in their homes, but only if doctors prescribe it and local law enforcement agencies know about it.

Seum he would provide studies on the medical benefits of marijuana to Republican Senate leaders, adding he felt no unease about admitting publicly to smoking marijuana. He also outed one of his 24 grandchildren, saying she "partakes" of marijuana to treat her epilepsy.

"Wouldn't it be nice if my granddaughter was no longer a criminal," he said.

Wading through all the biased numbers, it seems like around 600,000 people are charged each year for simple marijuana possession. And that number is down from around 700,000 per year because of all the states that have decriminalized possession. These people still smoking, they’re just not getting arrested now. That’s 600,000 people with criminal records. People who lose their jobs, lose their scholarships, have trouble finding future work, and even go to jail. Bottom line is that the law has ruined far more life’s than marijuana has.

I am just thrilled to see most folks commenting in agreement about something. Cannabis prohibition costs taxpayers a ton of money in incarceration and enforcement costs. Lives are ruined by charges stemming from cannabis possession. Instead of blowing money, let's bring a lot of tax revenue for our state and save a ton of money currently spent on unnecessary incarceration. The only people against illegal cannabis are police unions (They make a lot of money from pot arrests) private prison corporations (Make a ton of money from pot convictions) and big pharm (worried about cannabis cutting into their profits). It is high time (Pun intended) for the people to stand up for their own interests for once and decriminalize cannabis.

“Denver” does not want to legalize magic mushrooms. A small advocacy group in Denver, want to decrease the criminal penalties associated with mushrooms. Denver hasn’t changed their law. No legislators have proposed a bill to legalize mushrooms. Just a small group of extremists who started a petition. Yet, the headlines state. ”Denver, the first state to legalize Magic Mushrooms?” Or something to that effect. The term for that is clickbait.

DJ. I’ve read several so called studies on the effects of legalizing recreational marijuana in states. The conclusions have varied considerably. The only consistent findings I’ve seen is that marijuana useage goes up. Not as much as I would have though, but up. At the same time alcohol use goes down a little. I’m curious as to what negative side effects you’ve found to legalizing marijuana.

D.J., I respect your concern for medicinal marijuana being Step 1 toward legalization for recreational use. Just yesterday I read, in disbelief, that a faction in Denver, one of the first to decriminalize pot, wants to legalize psychotic mushrooms. I'll also agree that the proliferation of marijuana will make it more accessible to people who aren't responsible enough to handle it. To that end, I'm also for stricter gun control and access...it's the same principle. But whether it's pot, guns or alcohol, other people's kids are not mine to raise. Is it sad and inevitable that innocent people suffer? Yep. Is cannabis a natural and effective alternative to ingesting endless chemical substances (pharmaceuticals)? Yep. Legalizing medical marijuana does not have to be a gateway for recreational use...that's up to elected officials to decide. And if the research you cite exists, hopefully it will surface in the decision-making process.

The legal use of medical marijuana has obvious redeeming value to those that benefit from it, but using medical marijuana as a gateway to legalize this drug in Kentucky is counter-productive. The dirty little secret that is being swept under the rug by states that have legalized this drug is the profoundly negative effects it is having on individual lives, especially the young. Well documented facts are out there to back up my statement if one takes the time to look, but if you don't do any research it makes being an advocate for pot so much easier.

In the mean time, people will still get arrested, convicted, incarcerated, and have their life’s ruined by a lame duck law. Elderly people and cancer patients will be denied the opportunity to see if marijuana would help them. Cartels will continue to make huge profits from the illegal trafficking of a plant. These same cartels will continue to kill each other and innocent bystanders as they fight over the markets and routes. And in the end, it will have all been for nothing. The end result will be the same. It will eventually be legal. It’s a forgone conclusion.

Big drug companies do not want it legal, if it is legalized they want control. I would like to see people that are struggling be able to grow it and not big pharmaceutical companies, and when commercialized come the additives. More chemicals instead of naturally grown without pesticides, etc. Alcohol is the gateway drug. Why not grant immunity and test people that have smoked everyday for years...go ask Willie. Since it is legal in Washington DC, it should be legal in all states, and reclassified as a medical herb. As is non addictive, no hangover, you cannot od even if you smoke your body weight..you can only get so high. Its not like drinking where you get drunker and drunker pass out and drown in your puke, or drive, alcohol is a deadly drug. But here is a state that is crying for money, and will overlook the obvious solution to their debt, and be one of the last hogs to the teat.

There are more white people statistically, especially in Kentucky. But seriously, there is plenty of market out there for just plain old marijuana, so why would anybody want to increase the cost and decrease their profits by adding anything to it? Sure, it happens, but rarely.

A big advantage of regulated products is standardization. One reason the prohibition was repealed was that illegal alcohol had no check to keep people from drinking fatally toxic stuff. While not fatal by itself, people can package marijuana products that are laced with other things that can be harmful. Regulation is better than prohibition for anything that people are going to use like this.

Let’s talk about the hidden reason that some lawmakers want marijuana illegal: to arrest and punish people of color. Study after study shows how white people are never pulled over like people of color are. It’s a legal way to practice racial discrimination and that makes it popular with racist lawmakers and police.

Hey Shakey, once you cross back over the river you are up the creek, if you know what I mean? Illinois people can't possess blow 'em up fireworks and cross into an adjacent state to get them. The sneaky donut eaters :-) watch the firework stands for Illinois plates and when you cross back over they pull you over and bang you hard. The same thing will happen to Cannabis shops in Illinois, Lil' Andy will send his unmarks to watch for Kentuckians and bang you harder once you come home.

Again, too much conjecture on the topic. While smoke in lungs isn't necessarily healthy, there's no addictive, or cancer causing, nicotine in pot. In some cases, ingesting THC from the actual leaf via smoking is the best viable delivery system. There are plenty of alternatives...vape oil and live extract pens, oil, edibles, ointment, etc. Good luck convincing your local M.D. to prescribe pot...they would lose all those freebies (which are supposedly illegal under the Stark Law) and fear a malpractice suit. May happen a generation from now, but the process has got to start somewhere...and soon! Plus, there's the element of CBD. Similar physical effects without the mental shift resulting from THC. The mental shift, however, is also part of the healing process for anxiety and depression sufferers.

The Republican Senate prez is an absolute moron. There are so many studies and reports you cannot possibly be that ignorant about this subject anymore. Also...if your only argument against something...is that it MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD...then what the hell are you talking about?! Who doesnt want to feel good!? Absolutely ridiculous

I support legalization of medical marijuana if done properly.
One, A local medical Doctor would write a prescription, not Dr Doobie setting at his computer somewhere in the world
Two, The prescription would be filled by a registered pharmacist just like all other narcotic prescriptions
Three, The marijuana would be in an extract or pill. Not something you could smoke. Smoking tobacco is a health hazard so why wouldn’t smoking marijuana be.

I am 100% in favor of legalizing highly-regulated medical marijuana. Despite its other problems, Illinois has the most widely-respected medical marijuana laws in the country. Because of that, they will likely legalize recreational use soon. Why are there no studies? Because universities receive no federal funding for studies for a (federally) illegal substance. With the influx of states that have decriminalized pot, hopefully substantive studies will surface. Gateway drug? What's not a gateway drug? Glue? Aerosol? Adderall? Alcohol? Someone who is physically desperate enough to pursue such a legally controversial treatment doesn't just "light up to feel good". Today's cannabis is much more potent and sophisticated that the stuff bought in baggies in the 70's from Joe on the corner. Patients study which strains and varieties are best suited for their illness. Its use allows some people to cope with ailments that would otherwise make them unable to function (and I don't mean consume while driving or working). I wouldn't, however, include "home growing" marijuana in the bill. Like homemade moonshine, or home-baked cakes and pies for that matter, home production becomes potentially dangerous and counter-productive. Illinois' production facilities and dispensaries are extremely well-regulated for cleanliness and product standards. As for tobacco...they're dying to get involved in pot production. As a capitalist, I say let 'em!

Stivers is an idiot. I do see his point about how many it seems hypocritical, but you are gonna try to "control" tobacco with new regulations?!?!?!?! Has he not rode around in the country during a spring or summer in KY?!?! Maybe he has never been told that those big green leaves on the plants in the fields is TOBACCO! Yeah, that stuff you want to tax more, and regulate more, puts money in KY's economy. But let's tax and regulate tf out of it, so less people will do it, and jobs will be lost.
FFS!

I dont believe I have ever heard of someone dying from a marijuana overdose. Time to admit that the legalizing of at least medical use is a good idea. FDA is not going to give it the green light, too much loss of money for big pharma.

Maybe politicians want to legalize it because it's stupid to keep something that is less harmful than alcohol illegal and should be similarly regulated. What is so sinister about cannibus that makes people thing those who use it, for whatever reason, should have their liberty and property taken away by force by the government?

Well it's not a clinical study but I had a friend who was dying from pancreatic cancer and could not keep any food down. He started taking a couple of drags off of a joint and was able to eat and not throw up.

The reason Politicians want to legalize it is because they see the enormous taxes they can reap to plug their budgets. Short term fix for long term problem. In 10 years when we find out all the crime and negative effects it has, another Lil' Andy will be in power and sue us to stop allowing it. If you have a double blind trial test like you would for any drug looking for FDA approval and it is warranted, then do it for medicinal purposes only. Otherwise, don't fool with mother nature. I wouldn't even mind if you decriminalize a small amount and enact a (fine only) if you get caught with it in public.

There has been little to no scientific testing to determine the efficacy of marijuana as a medication. People once swore by various tonics and snake oils. The truth is that proponents of medical marijuana are looking to eventually legalize marijuana altogether. I'm not sure that would would be a good thing, but I also think we have lost that war. It might be time to raise the white flag and move on to something else.

So this guy just admitted that he willfully and unlawfully violated the law by being in possession of a "joint" while self medicating years ago and he hasn't been arrested yet? What if in the future we need to do something and in our opinion it should be lawful? Should we just take the law into our own hands and say screw you Kentucky, I know more than you do?

Anyone can see that the legalization of marijuana is inevitable. For it or against it, it's coming. I really don't know anyone opposed to it. Even the most right wing, elderly, religious person I know is not opposed to this. I'm not sure who the politicians think they are pandering to by opposing this.

A pretty good argument can be made that for those prone to addiction, marijuana could possibly act as a “gateway” drug. But I think most would agree that marijuana use is no more likely than other drugs such as alcohol and some prescription medications to lead to substance abuse. In fact, many (myself included) would argue that marijuana use is probably much less likely to lead to addiction and its use far less harmful and dangerous in many other respects than the use of alcohol. Seems to me that Senate President Robert Silvers’ “gateway drug” argument is pretty weak and a bit out of touch. Certainly not sufficient to disallow patients’ legal access to a medication that has been proven to be quite effective and relatively safe.

re: tinyurl: WestKentuckyStar does not allow active hyperlinks, meaning you can type the address out manually but not click on it. Anyway, I agree, there are few studies (I wonder why, that's rhetorical), but waiting around for government to get it's act together means we'll only go more decades without benefit. People are already using it, as I said, I don't, but you'd be surprised how many do. One nice that about the driving danger is that it won't be too long before self driving cars are the norm verses the exception. You want to ban something: alcohol.

Is Carney saying Seum is a liar? I have seen several documentaries on medical marijuana and it will cure lots of ills and replace lots of expensive drugs. One lady was addicted to pain killers legally and when she started smoking marijuana the pain was gone and so was the addiction. Maybe the problem is that Carney is getting support from the drug companies and prefers them above the people of the state. I guess the drug companies do make better "donations" than the people. Isn't it amazing how the wishes of one man can do so much harm to others.

I think people are about sick of these old foggies like Stivers that are willfully ignorant of the medical uses of Marijuana i haven't smoked it ever, and don't plan to when it is legalized. Notice I said when, because it will happen in the next ten years. I also know of many people who have used it for cancer pain, including our client Richard Nalor who died of exposure to Agent Orange. I get so angry at people like Stivers.